Latin Acts to Share in Playboy Fest Spotlight

Diversity, multiculturalism and sheer musical eclecticism are the keynotes for Playboy Jazz Festival 2000.

The 22nd installment of the long-running event’s weekend of music and partying will take place June 17 and 18 at the Hollywood Bowl with a collection of performances ranging from mainstream, contemporary and swing to salsa, blues and big-band sounds.

At the top of the bill, Wynton Marsalis, America’s most visible jazz musician, leads the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in the ensemble’s festival debut.

Marsalis’ effort to celebrate the music of Duke Ellington will be echoed by the appearance of an ensemble dedicated to the work of another jazz icon, the Count Basie Orchestra, led by Grover Mitchell.

*

Perhaps understandably, given the current surge of interest in the genre, the festival spotlights a wide range of Latin music acts, including the legendary “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz; the superb Cuban band Los Van Van (making its third festival appearance); Ruben Blades (who won a Grammy on Wednesday in the Latin pop performance category) with his band Editus; the powerful sextet of the gifted Puerto Rican tenor saxophonist David Sanchez; and the 11-piece Afro-Latin band Ozomatli, winner of Billboard’s 1999 Latin Music Award for best alternative/fusion act.

Fans of jazz singing will have the opportunity to hear two different takes on the elusive vocal art from veteran Lou Rawls (also, surprisingly, making his festival debut after 60 albums and 13 Grammy nominations) and Dianne Reeves, who, in the past year or so, has firmly established herself at the very top level of jazz artistry.

Contemporary/smooth jazz is represented by the unusual pairing of saxophonist Boney James and trumpeter Rick Braun, and swing addicts will have the opportunity to loosen up with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

*

Some of the weekend’s most intriguing sounds, however, will be provided by artists who tend to elude categories:

Elvin Jones, one of the most powerful drummers of the post-bop era, leading his Jazz Machine; jazz guitar fusionist John Scofield; versatile bassist-singer Richard Bona, a potential worldwide jazz superstar; violin virtuoso Regina Carter; the wildly eclectic Bay Area act (complete with musicians and dancers) Mingus Amungus; jazz banjoist Bela Fleck with his Flecktones; the colorful four-trombone band Bone Soir; and the Cos of Good Music V, master of ceremonies Bill Cosby’s annual assemblage of jazz all-stars, this year featuring saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Hilton Ruiz, bassist Dwayne Burno, drummer Ndugu Chancler and guitarist Wah-Wah Jackson.